1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the process and apparatus for shaping elongated meat forms during cooking wherein the meat form will be shaped to have substantially squared ends and will retain such configuration after cooking. A variety of devices are proposed for the shaping of the meat form during cooking.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beef prime rib is often encased within heat shrunk bags or envelopes prior to cooking. The use of such envelopes aids in shaping the longitudinal cross sectional configuration of the meat form, retains juices during cooking, and has other advantageous attributes.
Also, it is known to encompass meat such as beef prime rib with a mesh or net wherein the net aids in the cross sectional shaping of the meat form during cooking, and it is common to employ, simultaneously, a heat shrinkable envelope and mesh netting to encompass a long beef prime rib muscle during cooking. Such a circumferentially encased prime rib will preferably have a pear cross sectional configuration, but the chuck and loin ends of the boneless beef rib muscle will become generally flattened and somewhat pointed wherein the ends of the form are thin and generally unusable.
In the past, the ends of beef prime rib long muscle are often discarded and lost. While it is known to cook meats, such as ham and the like, within cans and molds whereby the meat will be held in a predetermined shape during cooking, to the knowledge of the inventor, prime beef rib has not been shaped prior to cooking wherein the ends of the meat form are of sufficient shape and thickness as to permit commercial sale thereof.